Chapter XIV.
Of King Harald and the Swedish King Eric.
King Harald came with his fleet eastward to Viken, and landed at Tunsberg, which was then a trading town. He had then been four years in Drontheim, and in all that time had not been in Viken. Here he heard the news that Eric Eymundson, king of Sweden, had laid under him Verm eland, and was taking scatt or land-tax from all the forest settlers; and also that he called the whole country north to Swinesund, and west along the sea, Westgothland; and which altogether he reckoned to his kingdom, and took land-tax from it. Over this country he had set an earl, by name Hrane Gotska, who had the earldom between Swinesund and the Gotha river, and was a mighty earl. And it was told to King Harald that the Swedish king said he would not rest until he had as great a kingdom in Viken as Sigurd King, or his son Kagnar Lodbrok, had possessed; and that was Raumarige and Westfold, all the way to the isle Grenmar, and also Vingulmark, and all that lay south of it. In these districts many chiefs, and many other people, had given obedience to the Swedish king. King Harald was very angry at this, and summoned the bonders to a Thing at Folden, where he laid an accusation [1] against them for treason towards him. Some bonders defended themselves from the accusation, some paid fines, some were punished. He went thus through the whole district during the summer, and in harvest he did the same in Raumarige, and laid the two districts under his power. Towards winter he heard that Eric king of Sweden was, with his court, going about in Vermeland in guest-quarters.
Chapter XV.
King Harald at a feast of the peasant Aake, and the murder of Aake.
King Harald takes his way across the Eida forest eastward, and comes out in Vermeland, where he also orders feasts to be prepared for himself. There was
- ↑ A reference to a Thing, and an accusation before it, appears to have been a necessary mode of proceeding, even to authorise the king to punish for treason the udal landholders.
